Amalgamator.



No; 68,232.` Patented Aug. 27, l90l.I

, E. J. KISS.

AMALGAMATUR.

(Applicationmed :my 1s, 1901,)

(No Model.)

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ERNEST. J. KISS, OF FORT VAYNE, INDIANA.

AMALGAIVIATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 681,232, dated August 27, 1901.

Appiicaion filed May 13, 190i. serial No. 59.953. oro moda.;

To @ZZ whom it may concern,.- l

. Be it known that I, ERNEST J. KISS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Wayne,

provements in Amalgamators; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which `it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in amalgamators employed for the purpose of eX- 1 tracting amalgamable metals-as gold, silver,

and copper-from their ores. y y

The object of my present invention is to l provide a cheap, simple, and efficient amalgamator ofyrelatively large output capacity l having a relatively large amount of amalgay mating-surface, which is exposed to the orepulp in operation, provided with an improved means for agitating the'ore-pulp and carryingit into and through the mercury, means for readily and conveniently draining olf the mercury at pleasure fromy any and all of its containing-receptacles while the machine is in fulloperation, and means forexhibiting at y. all times the height of the mercury in each receptacle. y y

My improvement consists of a pair of horizontal copper cylindersrrotatably mounted in an upright amalgamating-tank in vertical arrangement and in coperation respectively with proper mercury-receptacles within said tank, the said cylinders bein-g operatively connected by a proper driving and agitating chain; means `for circulating the ore-pulp tact with such surface.

through saidcylinders ,means for conducting the ore to its discharge; means for draining the mercury from its respective receptacles,

`and means for determining its depth in such receptacles.

The principal novel feature of my present invention resides inn the construction where- `by a relatively large amalgamating-surface is secured and in the means for agitating the ore-pulp and bringing it into a positive-con- `Similar reference-numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, in which- `Figure 1 is a cross-section of my improve- I ment, taken on the line m of Fig. 2, showing the relative arrangement of the operating mechanism and also broken away in part to 55 show the hopper-conveyer andthe means for y discharging the ore afterithas been acted upon by the machine. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same with the cylinder-driving chain broken away in part to show the perforated perime- 6o ter of the cylinders, and showing the relative arrangement of the discharge-conveyer, the means for supplying the mercury to the containing-receptacles and for discharging it therefrombeing omitted. Fig. 3 is a longi- 65 tudinal central section of the same. Fig. 4 is a cross-section of one of the mercuryereceptacles, showing the copper lining therefor.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail of asmall section of the driving-chain connecting the two revo- 7o luble cylinders.

The amalgamating-tank 1, of any proper form and dimensions, preferably upright and rectangular, has a proper supporting-base 2 and a depressed or trough-like bottom 3, Fig. 75

nearly iilled with water 6, as shown in Fig. 1.

In suitable iixed bearings 7, Fig. 3, in the upper portion of the said tank are rotatably 85 mounted thehorizontal axes 8, whose inner ends are rigidly fixed in suitable bearings 9, which are fixed in the opposite ends of the upper cylinder 10, of copper or brass, having upon its inner surface a spiral rib or flange 9o 11 and having its periphery providedV with numerous perforations 12 of proper size. Divrectly beneath this cylinder 10 and in coperation therewith is arranged a proper mercury receptacle 13, whose ends are rigidly 95 fixed to the respective ends of the tank l. This receptacle, `preferably of suitable metal, has a proper copper or brass lining 14, Fig. 4. Beneath this revoluble cylinder 10 and in parallel arrangement therewith is rotatably roo mounted on suitable pivots 16, which are loosely mounted in the opposite ends of the said tank, a second brass or copper cylinder 15 of greater diameter than the said cylinder The inclined 8o 10, also having its periphery provided with numerous perforations 17, and having` upon the inner face of its perforated perimeter a fixed spiral fiange 18, whose turns are in the direction opposite to those of the said spiral fiange 11, Fig. 3. Upon these two revoluble cylinders is loosely mounted a driving-chain 19, whose width is substantially equal to the length of the said cylinders. This chain is formed of a series of short bar-links 20, whose adjacent ends are pvotally connected by a corresponding series of transverse rods or pins 21, the links being so arranged as to leave alternate open spaces 22 between the same of sufficient size to freely permit the ore-pulp to pass through the same for the purpose hereinafterdescribed. end of one of the short axes 8 is rigidly xed a proper sprocket or drive wheel 23, which is actuated from any proper source of power. The revolution of the upper cylinder 10 by means of the drive-wheel 23 will of course actuate the lower cylinder 15 by means of the said chain 19. Directly below the lower cylinder 15 and in coperative relation therewith is arranged a mercury-receptacle 24, of similar form and construction to the said receptacle 13, secured in a similar or other proper manner to the ends of the said tank and provided with a similar copper or brass lining 25.

To the rear face and upper edge of the tank 1 is fixed a proper supporting-bracket 26, on which is rigidly mounted an ore-hopper 27, having a discharge-spout 28 leading therefrom to the said tank and also havingahorizontal spiral orc-conveyer 29 revolubly mounted therein and provided upon its outer end with a fixed drive-wheel 30. The said chamber 5 is separated from the interior of the tank 1 by means of the upright partition 3l, lexcept at the bottom of said chamber, as shown in Fig. 3.

1n the trough-like bottom 3 of the tank l, which also contains a quantity of mercury 55 in use, is revolubly mounted a screw conveyer 32, having upon one end thereof a fixed pulley 33. This open-topped chamber 5 has at its rear end a delivery-chute 34, and also has a rotatably-mounted pulley 35 in coperative relation with said chute, Fig. 1. The said pulleys 33 and 35 are operatively connected by the driving-chain 36, which is provided with a series of fixed upright copper blades 37 and is mercury coated. These blades perform two functions. They serve to catch and hold any particles of preciousl metal and mercury that maybe floating in the chamber 5, and they also serve to elevate the ore as it settles vto the bottom of' the tank and carry it upward'to the discharge-chute 34. The upper pulley 35 may be actuated in any proper. manner. The bottom of the said chamber 5 has a vertical pocket 38, into which the ore is discharged by the said conveyer 32 and from which it is elevated and discharged from the machine by means of the Saidcop- On the outer nected to the trough-bottom 43. At or near the outer end of the pipe 40 is arranged a cock 44, adapted to close the same. IPhe pipe 39 is provided with a cock 45 above the' cockI 44 and with a cock 46 below the same, both of which are adapted to close the pipe 39. The pipe 40 is also-provided with a mercury-gage 46. The pipe 41 has aclosing-cock 47 and a mercury-gage 48. The pipe 2 has a cock 51 and a mercury-gage 52. The pipe 39 also has a closing-cock 49- just below the said cock 47 and a closing-cock 50 just below the said cock 511.

The operation of' my improvement thus described is-obvious and, briefly stated, is as fol- "lows:A Whenthe machine is started, by connecting the drive-wheels 2.3, 30, and 35 to any 1suitable motive power the said cylinders 10 and 15.wil1l be rotated slowly, approximately at the rate of from twenty to thirty revolu- 2 tions perV minute, and the endless carrierchain 36. will travel over said pulleys 33 and 35 at a proper rate of speed, thesaid mercurylreceptacles havin-g been first supplied with a proper quantity o-f mercury in the following l manner z; The operator closes the cock 46 and opens cocks 44 and 45 and then pours the mercury into the top of the pipe 39, fromx which it is conducted by gravity through the pipe 40-toy the receptacle 13 until the desired quantity is supplied, as indicated bythe gage 46. He now closes cock 44 and cock 49 and opens cock 4(5.andI cock 47, after which meri cury may be supplied to the central receptajcle 24 through thepipes 39 and 41, the gage 48 continually registering the supply. He .K next closes the cocks 47 and 50 and then opens cocks 49-and 51, after which mercury may be suppliedA to the trough 3 through the pipes 39 `and 42, the depth of which will be registered `by the gage 52. The cock 51 is now closed. The manner of draining each of these mercury-receptacles either separately or simultaneously is too obvious to require any particular description. It is thus seen that either or all of the said mercury-receptacles can be supplied or drained at the pleasure of the operator without stopping or interfering With= the operation of nthe machine. The ore-pulp is now delivered in suitable quantities to the hopper 27, from which it is fed into the open top of the tank 1 by the screw conveyer 29,.

from which it is discharged downward upon' the moving chain 19, which dips into and passes through the body of mercury 53 in the receptacle 24, whereby its surfaces are kept continuously coated with a fresh supply of mercury.` The two cylinders lO and 15 have `l i pulp against the said amalgamating-surfaces their inner and outer surfaces also continuously coated with a fresh supply of mercury u at each revolution thereof, as their perimeters dip into the body of mercury contained i inthe respective receptacles 13 and 24. When the line ore-pulp is discharged upon the said i chain 19, large portions of it after a contact `with its amalgamating-surface will pass u Xg through the openings therein and into con- IoI tact with the outer amalgamating-surface of the upper cylinder 10, after which it will drop through the perforations 12 of said cylinder l Q l becarried from one end of the cylinder to the into the interior thereof, whose surface is also continuously coated freshly by mercury in the manner above described. When this ore is `thus received into the interior of the upper other by means of the spiral rib l1, thereby e thoroughly agitating the same over this inner l k amalgamating-surface,after which it is gradulally discharged through the said perforations and over the sides of the receptacle 13 and `precipitated upon the upper' perforated surface of the lower cylinder 15, whoseouter and inner surfaces are also continuously coated "freshly with mercury by passing at each revor lution thereof through the body of mercury 53 in the receptacle 24. The ore-pulp also passes through the perforations in this cylinder, is carried from one end thereof to the other by the spiral rib 18 in a direction opposite to that given it in the upper cylinder,

`and is ,thus thoroughly agitated over both its outer and its inner amalgamating-surfaces,

`during which operation itis of course repeatedly dragged through the mercury in the receptacles 13 and 24, by which treatment the values are extractedfrom the ore. The surfaces of the chain 19 are of course kept freshly `coated with mercury by continuously dipy' ping into the body of mercury in the receptacle 24. After the ore has been discharged from the lower cylinder it is received by the trough-like-bottom 3 of the tank, which also contains a proper quantity of mercury 55. The ore is next discharged from the boty p 1 tom 3 by the revolving conveyer 32 into the pocket38. This pocket 38 is separated from the trough 3 by an upright partition 57,which e serves to obstruct the ore in its discharge l l from the trough 3, and thereby retains it i 1 p longer in the mercury-bath 53, and also cony 1 this pocket the ore-pulp is carried upward to tains a proper quantity of mercury 54. From the discharge-chute 34 by the conveyer-chain l. 36, which is also kept freshly coated with mercury by passing through the said mercury-bath 55. The rubbing action of the ore- `of the said cylinders and the said chains 19 and 36 will cause them to be kept clean, so

ily unite with the said amalgamating-surfaces. My improvement thus aords a large l amount of amalgamating-surface that is constantly exposed to the ore-pulp and is a selfcleaning amalgamator that keeps the orepulp thoroughly agitated and keeps it passing through a series of mercury-baths before its nal discharge from the machine. The said pocket 38 is readily drained by means of the cock 54. While the said chamber 5 and the conveyer-chain 36 may be omitted and the ore discharged directly from the tatably mounted in the bottom of said tank and dipping into a body of mercury therein; an inclined chain conveyer arranged in said chamber and adapted to discharge the ore from the machine; and means for actuating said screw conveyer and said conveyer-chain.

2. An amulgamator consisting of an upright tank; two mercury-coated cylinders rotatably mounted in said tank in vertical .alinement; mercury-receptacles into which the said cylinders continuously dip; a mercurycoated driving-chain connecting the said cylinders and also dipping into one of said receptacles means for rotating said cylinders; and means for discharging the ore from the tank.

3. In an amalgamator a stationary tank; a pair of metallic mercury-coated horizontal cylinders rotatably mounted therein in vertical alinement; an endless driving-chain connecting said cylinders; means for continuously coating the surfaces of said cylinders and said chain with mercury; and means for discharging the ore from the machine.

4. The combination in an amalgamator of a containing-tank; a pair of horizontal and vertically-ahmed cylinders whose perimeters are perforated as shown for the purpose specified, rotatably mounted in said tank; an openlink driving-chain connecting said cylinders;

means for continuously coating said cylinders and said chain with mercury during their rotation.

5. An upright tank having upon one end a chambered extension; a pair of hollow perforated cylinders rotatably mounted in said tank in vertical alinement; an open-linked driving-chain connecting said cylinders; mercury-receptacles into which the said cylinders and said chain continuously dip during their rotation; a mercury -coated screw conveyer revolubly mounted in the bottom of said tank and l adapted to feed the orepulp continuously forward into said chambered extension;

a mercuryreceptacle in'said bottom into which the said conveyer continuously dips;

IOO

IIO

' to the said machine, and discharging it therefrom without interfering with the operation of `the machine.

Signed by me at Fort Wayne, Allen county, State of Indiana, this 7th day of May, A. D. 1o 1901.

ERNEST J. Kiss.

Witnesses ADELAIDE KEARNS, AUGUSTA VIBERG. 

